Hurricane hell, frogicide

The latest tracking forecast for Hurricane Ivan is rather disturbing. Being somewhere in the projected path is one thing, being dead in the middle of the forecast path is another. Surely the rush will be on to snap up any supplies that are available. I feel fortunate to have scored my plywood yesterday. I added another item to the hurricane supplies, a window AC unit. I never thought about it till I heard a guy on the radio mention it. This way I will be able to keep at least one bedroom cool if we lose power. Unfortunately I bought it on ebay and probably won’t see it until after this next hurricane arrives, but maybe I’ll get lucky. I got a great deal on it. (well a great deal if it works) People around here are really, REALLY starting to get concerned. I heard they already posted an evac order for the Keys.

This time of year when there is standing water everywhere, is prime season for tree frogs and toads to reproduce. The standing water is full of tadpoles. The frogs are literally EVERYWHERE. On the walls, in the pool, in the water equipment, in the hose reel, in the truck, in almost any nook or cranny you can find. As I walk on the grass I can see the tiny black toads scrambling for cover. As a result of this explosion of amphibians, many meet an unfortunate demise, many times accidentally by my hand. I’ll find dead ones in the pool filter. I’ll accidentally step on them. I’ll squash one as the screen door closes. I can only imagine how many I chop up while weed whacking or mowing. It bothers me to be responsible for the deaths of so many frogs and toads but there is little I can do about it. I try to watch my step the best I can.